Recount starts for WA senate seats

A week after Australian Electoral Commissioner Ed Killesteyn overruled local officers' refusal of a recount, and ordered all WA's 1.25 million above-the-line ballots to be recounted, the new tally has begun.

The recount by the AEC is due to take place between October 17 and November 8, with up to 120 AEC staff due to be counting at any one time.

Initial results had handed the Palmer United Party and candidate Dio Wang a WA Senate seat, edging out Greens Senator Scott Ludlam by just 14 votes at one stage of the count.

The wafer-thin difference between micro-parties, the Shooters and Fishers Party and Australian Christians, and preference distributions handed Senator Ludlam's Senate seat to the fledgling Palmer United Party.

The WA recount will also re-examine informal votes, but not votes below the line.

A change in result could also result in Labor losing their second seat in WA, and the Australian Sports Party taking a spot in the Senate.